Gallup data show that only 30 percent of employees are “engaged” at work. Towers Watson data show 35 percent “highly engaged.” Dale Carnegie data show 29 percent “fully engaged.” Gallup goes on to estimate an annual cost in lost U.S. productivity of more than $450 billion.

In a Forbes excerpt from his upcoming book, The Type B Manager , Victor Lipman points out that if 60 to 70 percent of employees are working at less than full capacity, a significant number of managers are dealing with motivation problems. Lipman sees a deep opportunity for very significant productivity gains through engagement (Tweet it!). “To use simple numbers, if you manage 10 employees and six of them are to some extent disengaged, and you can reach on average two of them to better engage and motivate them, those gains are significant.”

Of course the challenge lies in reaching those unengaged employees, but the payoff is worth it. “Here’s something they’ll probably never teach you in business school,” wrote Gallup CEO Jim Clifton in the summary accompanying his organization’s 2013 “State of the American Workplace” employee engagement study. “The single biggest decision you make in your job—bigger than all the rest—is who you appoint as manager. When you select the wrong person, nothing fixes that bad decision. Not compensation, not benefits—nothing.”

Were you ever less than fully motivated in a job because of a poor relationship with your manager? Did the situation improve, and—if so—how? To join the conversation, click "comments" below.​If you would like to read more about creating a habit around masterful communication, check out our book: Be Quiet, Be Heard: The Paradox of Persuasion